Chapter 131: Mission Submission

The hunters registered with the Hunter's Guild—some belong to underground organizations like Cain, while others might be members of the League.

The Hunter's Guild doesn't care about a registered hunter's identity; the only thing that matters to them is whether that person can capture Pokémon of real value.

For this reason, some people make capturing Pokémon their primary occupation.

There have even emerged small affiliate groups within the Hunter's Guild that focus primarily on hunting Pokémon to gather resources. They then train their own Pokémon, and after improving their skills, they capture even stronger Pokémon, creating a virtuous cycle.

This has led to many people feeling very proud to be hunters, and when they don't need to worry about being pursued by the League, they almost always wear their hunter's badge with stars on their chest.

Cain barely glanced around and paid no more attention.

He went straight into this Hunter's Guild building, which seemed much larger than the other shops.

Upon entering, he noticed that the entire center of the building was completely empty, but the décor divided the hall into two areas.

One area was the Pokémon sales section, mainly for those who wanted to buy Pokémon and choose the one they desired. So most of the hall space was filled with iron cages of different sizes, containing Pokémon that hadn't been tamed.

The other area was the Hunter's Guild office, which included the registration counter, computers for taking missions, and the mission submission counter.

Of course, if someone wanted to exchange points for Pokémon, they could also go directly to the Pokémon sales area and simply swipe their hunter ID card.

Cain headed to the mission submission counter. The five main counters were all packed with people, except one, which had a sign that read, "Exclusive counter for hunters with five stars or more."

In many places in the Pokémon world, people receive different treatments based on their status.

The Hunter's Guild is no exception. Hunters with five or more stars, of course, have their own privileges, and this exclusive counter is just one of them.

After all, most of the income of the Hunter's Guild comes from these high-level hunters. Mid- or low-level hunters, or even those with no stars, like Cain, can only line up at the general counters and wait for mission submission.

Without further thought, Cain got to the end of one of the lines, crossing his arms as he waited.

Though he was waiting, he didn't stand idle; his eyes, hidden under the black cloak, were observing the entire hall.

The highlight was a person in very striking attire, leaning against a secluded corner of the hall, ignored by everyone around him—or perhaps no one dared to look at him directly.

This was because on his chest he wore a sun-shaped badge, the emblem of a high-ranking member of the Hunter's Guild, and the person in charge of the Guild in Ecruteak City.

He seemed to have sensed something, as his eyes, which had been droopy with sleep, opened a bit. After a quick glance around the hall, not finding anything unusual, he yawned, crossed his arms again, and leaned back against the wall to resume sleeping.

"..."

Being able to sleep comfortably while standing against a wall like that made Cain feel a little speechless.

However, Cain didn't underestimate him. Anyone who could wear the sun badge was at least a quasi-elite level expert. Just one closer look, and he had already noticed him.

That kind of hunter's instinct was definitely top-notch, and though he seemed lazy, the fact that he could sleep comfortably while standing showed that he had been through many harsh environments and that, no matter how adverse the setting, he could sleep and regain energy, always staying alert.

There was nothing else special in the hall, so Cain stopped observing.

Most hunters in the hall were two-star level; occasionally, a few four-star hunters appeared, but he hadn't seen any five-star hunters.

Suddenly, a commotion arose at the front of the line Cain was in.

"Congratulations on completing the mission. According to your point calculation, you will be promoted to a five-star hunter. You may proceed to the exclusive counter to receive your fifth golden star..." said a mission submission desk staff member with a professional smile.

This phrase caused the people behind him to erupt in murmurs.

"I didn't expect to see a five-star hunter today..."

"A five-star hunter—they must have at least fifty million points. What Pokémon couldn't they obtain with that...?"

"Idiots! Stop talking. Don't you see the symbol under that hunter's badge? That hammer symbol is the emblem of a group affiliated with the Hunter's Guild, the War Hammer hunters!"

"..."

Upon hearing the words "War Hammer hunters," everyone behind fell silent and spoke no more.

The War Hammer hunter group may not be famous in other places, but within the hunting profession, it is well-known.

Among the affiliated hunter groups within the Guild, it ranks among the top five in terms of power.

It's said that their leader personally captured an elite-level wild Pokémon. Although the exact details aren't known, this fact alone brought them great fame.

The member of the War Hammer hunter group who had just been promoted to five stars straightened up upon hearing the people behind him talking about his group and walked to the exclusive counter without looking back, as if he was proud of something.

After he left, the line moved faster, and ten minutes later, it was Cain's turn.

He sat in the chair in front of the counter.

"Hello, please show your hunter ID card," said the receptionist at the counter kindly.

Cain handed over the hunter ID card he had prepared in his hand.

With a simple swipe in the card reader, Cain's data appeared on the staff member's computer screen.

"Hello, are you here to submit a mission? If the mission is complete, please place the Poké Ball in the compartment next to you. We'll evaluate the Pokémon's quality and other data to determine the mission completion level," said the receptionist, showing no disdain despite Cain being a no-star hunter, simply doing her job mechanically.

Cain took the Poké Ball containing the Nidoran out of his pocket and placed it in the compartment next to the counter.

The receptionist pressed a button on the desk, and the Poké Ball disappeared instantly into the compartment.

Pokémon transport technology.

This simple transport technology in the Pokémon world is quite advanced.

After patiently waiting for three minutes, a data screen appeared on the receptionist's computer, displaying all the information about the Nidoran captured by Cain.

"Hello, sorry for the wait. This Nidoran has quite good quality and level. We're offering a price of one hundred thousand Pokédollars," said the receptionist with a professional smile.

Upon hearing the price, Cain involuntarily frowned. If it were a regular Nidoran, that price would be fair, but the one Cain caught had the special ability "Hustle." Once it evolves into Nidoking, it will have the "Sheer Force" ability.

"Please ask your data analyst to check again. This Nidoran has the special ability Hustle," Cain said without showing any emotion.

(End of chapter)